“Off-season workouts are a great preview for the underclassmen about what it’s like to play on a highschool basketball team,” said Junior Nathan Pewett. “It can also help upperclassmen get back into the habit of practice and the right mindset.”
Boys basketball green days began in September and still happen on Mondays from 6:30 to 8:00. At these workouts, athletes worked on their skills, conditioning, and game sense under pressure. With Head Coach, Jerome McAvoy out on paternity leave, Assistant Coaches Corey Benjamin, Hayden Bluth, Juan Colon, and DeWayne Nelson have stepped up and been able to lead these workouts successfully.
These green days start with weightlifting, because Coach Benjamin emphasizes strength and speed. Players then head to the Auxiliary Gym, where they scrimmage, do skillwork, and scrimmage against teammates.
“I played on the JV (junior varsity) team last year, and it’s a big change playing varsity this year,” said sophomore Esay Ghirmay. “These workouts and fall league have helped me adapt and get used to playing at a higher level because I show up everyday ready to learn and get better.”
Mondays are open workouts, so if you are a basketball player and you’ve got what it takes, do not be afraid to show up. On Wednesdays, coaches hold workouts only for the varsity fall league team. On Saturdays, Annandale’s varsity basketball team plays against high schools coming from all across Virginia. Starting point guard Nathan Pewett, and forward Samy Cheikh dominate the pick-and-roll or pass it out to senior captain Natnael Akilulu for the 3 point shot.
With 2 team captains out playing other sports this fall, junior Nathan Pewett, and seniors Esaw Ghiorghis, Fesshaye Bekuretson, and Otto Tune have stepped up into a leadership role. With this senior led team, the development of underclassmen and first-year varsity players has become much easier. The maturity of these team leaders sets a great example for the rest of the team and makes the team very coachable. Basketball tryouts are going to be held the week of November 11-15. Tryouts will assess your conditioning, talents, and work ethic.
Basketball will be played in the winter, so make sure you show up to the games, whether you’re playing in them or just watching from the bleachers. Come support your school and show your school spirit at the home games!
